IUCN threat status:

Brief Summary

With their long legs and flattened body, water rails can easily move around in dense reed vegetation. They live very withdrawn and are rarely seen. However, they are noisy birds, making all kinds of sounds, including that of a squealing piglet. Water rails hide their nest in the reed, sometimes breeding twice a year. In that case, they make an entirely new nest and move the first generation to the new home.